A nurse is preparing to administer prednisone 0.04 g PO. Available is prednisone 20 mg tablets. How many tablets should the nurse administer? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To determine the number of prednisone tablets to administer, we need to convert the prescribed dose from grams to milligrams and then calculate how many tablets are needed based on the available tablet strength. Here’s a step-by-step explanation:
- Convert the Prescribed Dose to Milligrams:
- The prescribed dose is 0.04 grams.
- We know that 1 gram equals 1000 milligrams (mg).
- Therefore, to convert grams to milligrams, multiply by 1000: 0.04 grams×1000 mg/gram=40 mg0.04 \, \text{grams} \times 1000 \, \text{mg/gram} = 40 \, \text{mg}0.04grams×1000mg/gram=40mg
- Determine the Tablet Strength:
- The available tablets are prednisone 20 mg each.
- Calculate the Number of Tablets Needed:
- To find out how many tablets are required to make up the 40 mg dose, divide the total mg needed by the strength of each tablet: Number of tablets=Total mg neededStrength per tablet=40 mg20 mg/tablet\text{Number of tablets} = \frac{\text{Total mg needed}}{\text{Strength per tablet}} = \frac{40 \, \text{mg}}{20 \, \text{mg/tablet}}Number of tablets=Strength per tabletTotal mg needed=20mg/tablet40mg
- Performing the division: 4020=2\frac{40}{20} = 22040=2
- Thus, you need 2 tablets.
- Round the Answer:
- Since the result is already a whole number, no further rounding is necessary.
In summary, to administer a dose of 0.04 grams of prednisone, which is equivalent to 40 mg, you need to provide 2 tablets of prednisone, each 20 mg. This calculation ensures that the patient receives the correct dosage as prescribed.